The disappearance of American journalist Austin Tice in Syria in 2012 has long been shrouded in mystery, but a new BBC investigation has revealed that his abduction was a calculated operation, not a random act. According to the BBC, the Assad regime had planned the kidnapping for weeks, and a former member of the group that detained Tice has claimed the operation was sanctioned by then-President Bashar al-Assad. Tice, a former U.S. Marine and Georgetown University law student, was last seen in a video, blindfolded and in distress, more than a month after his capture. For years, many believed he had been captured by chance at a government checkpoint, but the BBC's findings suggest otherwise. The BBC's new podcast, Where is Austin Tice?, explores the results of a years-long investigation into Tice’s disappearance. The case has drawn international attention, with successive U.S. presidents citing it as a matter of concern. The podcast details the journey of journalist Josh Baker as he delves into the world of fear, greed, and betrayal to uncover the truth behind one of the most high-profile missing-person cases in recent history. As the Assad regime fell 12 years after Tice's disappearance, tens of thousands of people were released from government prisons, but Tice was not among them. The BBC obtained coordinates from an intelligence source for several locations where U.S. authorities suspected Tice might have been held. Despite a month-long search, no evidence of his whereabouts was found. A former Syrian commander claimed Tice was executed, but no remains have ever been discovered. However, the BBC uncovered secret Syrian intelligence files that confirm the regime had held Tice. The investigation uncovered more about how Tice was taken. A former member of the National Defence Forces (NDF), a militia loyal to Assad, revealed that Tice’s driver—someone he trusted—passed information about the journalist’s movements to a senior NDF member. This information was relayed to Assad’s inner circle, and the president allegedly ordered the abduction. The driver, later identified as Hamid Abu Obeid, had been promised life-changing rewards for delivering Tice, including citizenship and a house. However, after the abduction, Abu Obeid received only a pistol. His family says he disappeared shortly after, and they fear for his safety. Both Tice's family and Abu Obeid's wife are now searching for answers to the same question: where did their loved one go?